Means for counting, portioning, and packing matter as tablets, pills, and the like



Sept. 9, 1941. M. HANSEN 2,255,704 MEANS FOR COUNTING, PORTIONING, AND PACKING MATTER l AS TABLETS, PILLS, AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 19, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z2 /w 'j1 44 `,410 5,

.Sept 9, 1941. M. HANSEN 2,255,704 MEANS FOR COUNTING, PORTIONING, AND PACKING MATTER AS TABLETS, PILLS, AND THE LIKE Filed sept. 19,v 1958 2 sheets-sheet 2 M Hanse/7 Patented Sept. 9, 1941 MEANS FOB COUNTING. PORTIONING, AND PACKING MATTER AS TABLETS, PILLS,

ANDTHELIKE Morten Hansen, Oslo, Norway Application September 19, 1938, Serial No. 230,706

In Norway September 20, 1937 l 11 Claims.

The present invention relates to means for counting material such as tablets and pills for medicinal purposes or for other use, and further to means for packing such counted material in bottles, boxes or similar containers used for .this type of goods.

'Ihe expression tablets and pills in the present description of the invention is intended to refer to any' type of small articles, generally manufactured by pressing or moulding a. pulverulent substance.

When such tablets have been made, it is usually necessary to apportion these tablets or pills for packing in boxes or other containers in different quantities. As long as the said tablets have a spherical or cylindrical shape, this apportioning of the tablets does not involve many diiiiculties due to the fact that means for. automatically counting tablets of these shapes has been provided for a long time and is working satisfactorily, for instance by the use of centrifugal force This invention also relates to means which table. .One object of this invention is to provide means which is adapted at this moment to deliverV the tablet from the table to a preliminary container which may be shaped as a channel. The said preliminary reservoir or container is according to the invention provided with a gate which is in working connection or synchronised with the said delivering means in such a way that when a predetermined given number of the tablets has 'beendelivered from the press to the said preliminary reservoir, the said gate will be opened, whereby the said quantity of tablets may be delivered directly to a packing machine or may be delivered to other Ameans which is to give the tablets a nish.

1 ,In connection with the above describedmeans there may be arranged a receiver which is adapted to collect the portions as delivered from the preliminary reservoiry and to keep the said portion until a certain number of such portions has been received, whereby means are incorporated with the said receiver adapted to empty this in synchronism with `the working of the .press in such a way that a given multiple of the number of tablets gathered in the preliminary reservoir will be delivered from the .said receiver. Thus, if for instance the counting mechanism in direct connection with the press is adjusted to deliver 20 tablets to -the preliminary reservoir between each time this is emptied, thesaid receiver may -be adjusted in such a way'that 5'such portions are gathered between each emptyingf whereby the said receiver will deliver. 100 tablets at the time, for instance to the packing machine.A

The controlling means which may be used for :Y controlling the action of the said receiver is no with a press for forming such tablets of pulverulent material. Such presses may be of well known construction a`nd comprise a rotating table and a number of pistons, arranged to rotate with the'l same. Such pistons are varranged as well above as below the table'and are made to co-act in pressing the tablets in moulds in the table, the pressing taking place in such a way that as a pulverulent mass is fed to the said moulds, the pistons are pressed against veach other in the said moulds, and the tablets are shaped.

When the pressing of a tablet has been finished, the pressing machine is usually arranged in such a way that the piston on top of the table will be raised above the same, and the piston below the table will be raised to push the pressed tablet up to a level above the surface of the said partof the present invention, due to the fact that any man skilled in the art may be able to choose suitable automatic operating equipment for controlling the said receiver in synchronism with the press or the first mentioned means for delivering the tablets as they are .being manufactured.

It is preferred according -to this invention to combine the counting means with means for dusting and finishing the surface of the tablets manufactured. This dusting and removing of possible grades on the edges of the tablets may be performed in a rotating perforated cylnden' having within itself a helically arranged wall whichwill form a screw-thread passage for the tablets from the inlet to the outlet end of the same. When the tablets are fed to the inlet end `of this cylinder and this is set in rotation, the

portion of tablets will be made to move through the empty containers to this point.

the same and be nnished on the surface and l'idded Oflts dust. FIFO!!! the Outlet end fthis drum theftablets may'then be delivered to the above mentioned receiver or directly to the pack-` ing apparatus.

' One may also substitute for the .above men*-` tioned cylinder a dusting and'nishing apparatus, driven by means of vacuum.l Such appa` A close to the upper end for preventing the matter from being drawn into the vacuum pipe. yIf such apparatus is arranged in connection with l v the said preliminary reservoir so that the tablets will be delivered from this to the inlet end` of the vacuum pipe, the tablets will be sucked up into the same and be violently agitated against the screen at the upper end of the. same.

When a suitable treatment of the ltablets has been 1inishcd,.the vacuum may be broken and` 1 the tablets will drop out through the pipe and may be taken up in the above mentioned receiver for the purpose of multiplying the number of tablets in each portion or to the packing machine.

g The above described combination of the means f for counting, portioningand finishing of tablets can in suitable way be controlled by mechanical, 30 pneumatical ory electrical means, this means being arranged in such a way-if for instance elec- 1 tromagnetic means are chosen-that a controller will energize all the electromagnets at the same time, whereby the different operating mechai nismswill be adjusted from normal position, i. e. 1 the position which they will take when the magnets are demagnetized, to another position for -I transferring the portions of tablets to the next working place for vthe same. v

At a givenA time the situation may for instance be, that'one portion of tablets is being treated in the'vacuum apparatus and 4one full 3 portion has been gathered in the preliminary f reservoir. .1 tacts are closed and the magnets energized; the l magnets-must then be arranged in such a way that the tablets in the preliminary reservoir will z be released to fall out of this; at the same time At this moment the electrical conanothe'r magnet must break the vacuum in the l the preliminary reservoir.

A further'object of Ythe vpresent invention is to provide suitable means in combination with ;an above mentioned portioning apparatus for .the packing of the portions thus countedinto out the help of 'manualflaboun For this object the invention comprises two 1 tubes, boxes, bottles or the like'containers withconveyors, one serving to convey the portions towards the pointwhere the same are tobeiilled linto the containers, the other serving to convey AOf primary importancel therev is accordingto -this inventionjarranged a' feeler member which is positionedso that it will be iniiuenced by the portions of matter being conveyed by the formerA 5 conveyor insuch away that it by means of suitable mechanism will -control the movements of the latter conveyor to` cause an empty container exactly to come to standstill under the discharge end ofthe former conveyor, when one portion of matter is to be discharged.

The invention further comprises specially constructed means.- suitable for obtaining the above mentioned. effect as wellas-means which are provided for establishing a shaking action of the u;l container as the portion of matter is filled therein. l f s These different means will be further described in the following description which in y connection with the drawings illustrates one way in which the present invention may be worked.

Fig. 1 illustrates diagrammatically a part of the machine according to the invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates the construction shown in the left-hand portion of Fig. 1 in a somewhat diiferent working'position. Fig, 3 illustrates a modied construction of a dusting apparatus diagrammatically.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the tablet press with parts broken away.

.different parts of the usual press formaking tablets, which machine in the following description as a whole will be called 8 viz. I denoting the shaft of th machine, 2 the table with the mould. 3 the pistons on the underside of the table, 4. the

40 guiding disk or ring for the pistons v5, 6 lifting rods for the pistons 5, 'I a guiding cam for the pistons on top of the table, 'Ib a guiding cam for the pistons on the underside of the table and |49 a ruler for guiding the tablets off the table.

On the side of the machine 8, a shaft 9 is jour# nalled, which shaft is provided with spokes or arms l0, arranged-at such a level in relation to the machine that they will exactly pass in over the table' 2 Iand reach so far towards the centre 50 of same that the inner end of these arms will vacuum pipe, in such a way that the tablets in f `the'inishing apparatus will-fall out and be 1 gathered in the receiver or other means in connection with the packing apparatus. Finally special means may be arranged to transfer the tablets fromvthe outlet of the preliminary re- ".eiver, to the inlet end of the vacuum pipe, so that this latter portion-when the electric coni nection is broken and the vacuum is again estabu lished in the vacuum pipe-will-be sucked up 1 into the same for treatment. `While this portion 1 of tablets is being treated in the vacuum pipe, `a newv portion of tablets is being gathered in extend to the inside of the circle in which the pistons 3 and 5 are working.

On the vshaft 9 there may further be arranged arms or spokes I2 which project in over the disk I on which there may be arranged projections I3 which will co-operate with the arms I2 and provide that the shaft 9 with the arms or spokes I0 will rotate with a denite speed in relation to the press 8.V

eo Up to the edge of the table 2 there is arrangedl a channel I4 in such a way that the tablets l5 which have been lifted to the overside of the table by the .pistons 3, will be caught by one of the spokes I0 and pushed vinto they channel I4 and thus begathered resting against the gate mission to the lower part ofthe channel Il, when the gate I6 is op'en. `The opening of the gate I6 respectively the closing of the gate I8 may be. actuated by means of an electromagnet I9 .I which is controlled by a relay 22 which will be 15 further described below. The closing ofthe gate Fig. 5 is aview from the side of that part of f 21 which at the upper end hasy a hollow container 28 which is covered by a perforated plate 29. From the hollow container 28 through the perforated plate 29 connection is made to a vacuum pipe 30 in which a baille 3| for the breaking of ferred to the basket 24, and the gate I8 will be closed, thereby preventing tablets which are being manufactured while this transfer takes place from passing the opengate I6 and entering the basket 24. When the contact members 42 and 4I get out of contact with each lother, the electromagnets will lose their power, the gate I6 will be closed, and will at once receive the tablets the vacuum is provided. The basket 24 is hung in such a way that under the action of gravity it will normally take a position under the lower end of the pipe 21. At the same time it is in working connection with the armature of an electromagnetr 32, which through the means of leads 33, 34 is controlled by -a relay 22. This control mechanism is arranged in such a way that the basket 24, where the electromagnet is energized, will swing over to the right side in Fig. 2 and take a position directly under the outlet of the pipe 2,3, while lthe same-when the power is taken off the electro-magnet 23-under the influence of gravity will swing back to its initial position under the pipe 21. The baille 3| over the hollow container 28 is provided ,with an arm 35 having a curved `armature core 36 which may be actuated by means of an electromagnet 31 which through leads 38 and 39 is controlled by the relay 22 in such a way that the baiile 3| will open when the electro-magnet 31 is fed with electric power, and'be closed when the electro-magnet is demagnetized.

The relay 22 may work on low tension electric power or directly on net potential. If a low tension power is used, this may comprise a source of power 48, a contact member 4I which is stationarily fixed on the machine 8, and further ya contact member 42 which co-operates with the former and is fixed to the rotating table 2 on the press 8 or a part thereof, the contact-member 4I being in connection with the source of power 48 by means of a lead 43, while the relay 22 is in connection with the source oi power 40 on one side and with the frame of the machine and the contact 42 by means of the leads 44, |45 on the other side.

The machine above described will now act in the following way:

The table I5 which is just ready from the press and has been raised to the upper surface oi the table 2, is caught by the spoke I8 and pushed down into the preliminary reservoir or channel I4, where it will be stopped against the gate I6.

When the machine 8 has completed one rotation, contact will be made between the contact members 42, 4I, whereby the relay 22 will cause the magnets I9, 32 and 31 to be energized. The basket 24 will be swung over to the right side on the drawings, the tablets I5-which rest in the preliminary reservoir I4-will fall out from this and be gathered in the basket 24, and the tablets I5which at the present moment are lbeing dusted in the vacuum container 28-will fall out of this and will be received in the receiver 45 shown in Figs. 5 and 6, or directly in the conveyor 52 shown in the same gures. At the same time, the tablets which have been gathered on top of the gate I'6 will be transwhich meanwhile have gathered on the top side of the gate I8, the basket 24 will swing over .to the left, and the vacuum in the pipe 21 will through the perforated bottom in this basket pull the tablets I5' up into the vacuum container 28, where they under heavy agitation will be ridded ofv their dust and grades.

One mayas it will appear from the introduction to the present description-use a dusting apparatus of a somewhat different construction. In Fig. 3 this modification is illustrated. The modified duster-comprises a perforated cylinder 91 with a helically arranged inner wall $8. The portion I5' of tablets from the preliminary reservoir I4 is fed to the right end ofl this cylinder, and as it is rotating, this portion will by the thread-shaped wall 98 be fed towards the left side of the cylinder. yThe tablets will during this movement be exposed to agitation, which will rid them ofy dust and grades which will fall out of the cylinder 91. From the outlet of the pipe 21`or from the cylinder 91 the finished portion of matter may be directly transferred to a conveyor, or may as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 be transferred to a receiver 45.

At the outlet v46 of the receiver 45 there may be arranged a gate 41 which for instance under the action of an electro-magnet |48 can be lifted up at certain predetermined intervals, as for instance under the influence of a relay 48, which is controlled by suitable means on the press itself in such a way that for instance I0 portions of tablets i5 from the outlet 21 may be received each time the gate 41 is lifted by the electro-magnet 48.

Gn drums 49 and 58 there is carried an endless belt-conveyor 52. The tablets from vthe receiver will thus from the gate 41 be delivered to this belt and will by this be carried to the outlet end 5I, where they will be dumped into a funnel 15.

Another conveyor 53, which may be formed as a table rotatably supported in the bearing 54 by means of a shaft 55 is arranged at the end of the conveyor 52. From the same driving means 56 which through the shaft 51 drives the conveyor 42, a belt 58 is arranged to a pulley 59 which through the shaft 60 and the friction roller 6I in contact with the conveyor 53 provides for the rotation of the same. In the conveyor 53 there is a number of pockets 62, shaped in such way that they may serve to receive the containers wherein the tablets are to be packed. The conveyor 53 is along its periphery provided with a number of extending arms 63, and under the conveyor a locking member 64 is arranged, which may come in mesh with these arms and prevent the rotation of the conveyor 53. The locking or checking mechanism 64 may comprise an electro-magnet 65 which, when it is energized, will pull. the checking means 64 down against the action of a screw spring 66. The electro-magnet 65 is fed with power from an electric source 61 through leads 6,8 which go directly to the electro-magnet 65,

and a lead 69 which goes to a contact mechanism 10, from which a lead 1I extends back to the electro-magnet.

The contact mechanism 1li-is controlled by a container in under the funnel 15.

' is actuated by the portions l5 with pills which this conveyor carried.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the teeler 12 acts in that way that when a portion of l pills i 5 passes in under the same. it will be lifted about its swinging point 13 in such a way that contact is made by the'contact means 1li. The

lolng member 64 will thus be pulled back and the friction roller 3| will rotate the conveyor 53.

As soon as the portion I has passed the feeler 12, the contact will again be opened atv iii and the locking member El will be raised to stop the conveyor 53 when it has been moved around until the next arm 63 will mesh with the locking member 64; This means is arranged in such a .way that the place where the conveyor will stop will be exactly thus that one empty container will stop under the funnel 15 so that one portion l5, when it passes over the outlet 5i from the conveyor 52 through the funnel, will pass downinto the container 1B.

/ The4 conveyor 53 will rest, until a new portion 'I5 will pass under the feeler 12, whereafter the conveyor 53 in the same way as above described will make a step forward to feed anew einpt Above the conveyor 52 it may be preferable to arrange a number of straight-edged guiding members 16. 11, 18 with an angle to the axis of the 'assayed in the latter case will be ve times as long as in the former case. The only adjustment whichvis needed, is a r'e-setting of the controlling means for the relay 48. A One must further be aware of the fact that the type of conveyors which has been chosen in the present embodiment for the purpose of illustrating the invention. does not in .any way limit the scope of the same, as it is evident that any type of conveyors maybe used in combination for obtaining the same result under the control of similar controlling mechanism. f

- I claim:

`1. Improvement in means forl counting and apportioning matter as tablets'or pills of any kind and shape-as they are delivered shaped from a press, comprising a reservoir, means for moving each tablet immediately as ready from said press to said reservoir, means synchronized with saidmoving means, adapted atpredeter-s mined intervals to empty the said reservoir, a

conveyor .and with the inner Vend pointing in the direction of movement for the purpose of lining up the portions of pills as they areV being care ried'towards the outlet end of the conveyor.

In the conveyor 53, there may thus manually be placed a number of empty containers 14, the

pockets 62 on the underside being closed by a4 stationary plate 19 which may be supported by arms 80. v

When the containers have been filled with tablets under the funnel 15 and the conveyor 53 stepwards moves on, the cover or lid 8l on the containers may be partly closed by meansof a straight-edge 82 which is arranged stationary and projects in over the conveyor 53. In order to close the lids on the containers entirely, a roller 83 may be arranged for instance on the shaft 60 in such a way that it will roll over the partly closed v containers and completely close theirlids.

When the containers have been. closed, they must be removed from the conveyor 53, and this may for instance be done thereby that the plate 18 is provided with an aperture 84 in such a -way that when the container reaches a certain point,

l they will drop out through the aperture ,and leave the machine, for instance on an incline 85.

In order to insure a complete lling of the containers, it is preferred to arrange some shaking means for the containers at that position where they are being lled. Such shaking means may for instance be provided by meansof a vi'- brating rod 86, which is held in vibration for -instance by means of an electro-magnet 81 which is fed by alternating current.

By means of the feeler 12, one will obtain an accurate transfer of the portions of matter from the conveyor 52 to the containers without needing to undertake any regulations or care when the counting machine is delivering larger' or smaller quantities of pills vat larger or smaller time intervals.

One will thus be able to use the apparatus without adjustment for the packing of portions or 20 tablets or for the packing oi' portions of 100 tablets. even though the time between the' portions 75 second reservoir, adapted to receive the tablets from said nrst mentioned reservoir, and means in connection with the'said second reservoir adapted to agitate the tablets when received in body closed at the upper end by a perforated4 plate, means connected to this end of the reservoir adapted to establishy a vacuum in the said" reservoir.

' 4. Means according to claimr 1, in which the. second reservoir is formed as an upright hollow body closed at the upper` end by a perforated plate, means connected to this end of the reservoir adapted to establish'a vacuum/in the said reservoir, and means adapted to receive the tablets irom said rst mentioned reservoir and transport them to said second reservoir.

5. Means according to claim 1,'in which the second reservoir is formed as an upright hollow body closed at the upper end-.by a perforated plate, means connected to this end oihthe reservo1r.ad apted to establish a vacuum in the said reservoir, and means adapted to receive the tablets from said first mentioned reservoir and transport them to said second reservoir, said means comprising a container supported by a pendulum and adapted to swing from under the l outlet ofvsaid rst mentioned reservoir to under the inlet o f said second reservoir. v

s, Means according to claim 1.111 which said second reservoir is formed as an'upright `hollow body closed at the upper end bya perforated plate, means connected to this end of the reservoir adapted to` establish a vacuum in the said reservoir, .and means adapted to break the said vacuum for the purpose of releasing the tablets therein. v Y

7. Means according to claim 1, in which said second reservoir is formed as an.upright hollow body closed at the upper end by a perforated plate, means connected to this end of, the'reservoir adapted to establish a vacuum in the said reservoir, anda baille in the upper end of the said second reservoir adapted tobreak the vacuum in order to release the tablets therein.

8. Means i'or counting material such as tablets as they are deliveredtrom a formingpress, com.

prlsing means adapted to deliver the tablets from said press, a reservoir adapted to receive the same as delivered and having a gate adapted to be opened at intervals, another gate nearer said press adapted to be closed when said first mentioned gate is opened and vice versa, a second upright hollow reservoir capable of being placed under a vacuum, a transporter mounted oscillatably adapted to receive the tablets from said iirst mentioned reservoir and to transport them to the underside of said second reservoir. a baille in said second reservoir adapted to break said vacuum, electromagnetic means arranged to control the movements of the said gates, the said swinging transporter and the said baille and a controller synchronized with the working operation of said press adapted to close and open the circuits to the said electromagnets in such a way that the gate from said ilrst mentioned reservoir will be opened when a predetermined number of tablets has been delivered thereto, whereby the second gate is closed to prevent further deliveries of tabletsto the said reservoir until the former gate is again closed, the transporter swinging from the former to the latter reservoir, when it has received a portion of tablets, and back again when it has delivered same to the latter reservoir, and the baie in the second reservoir will be opened to break the vacuum and release the tablets therein before the transporter returns with a new portion oi.' tablets.

9. Improvement in means i'or counting and apportioning material such as tablets or pills of any, kind and shape as they are delivered shaped from a press, comprising afl/rservoir, means for moving each tablet immediately as ready from said press to said reservoir, means synchronized with the said movingmeans adapted at predetermined intervals to empty the said reservoir, means adapted to receive a plurality of tablets and adapted to deliver a predeterminednumber of such tablets at a time.

10. Improvement in means for counting A`and apportioning material such asf/tablets or pills of any kind and shape as they a e delivered shaped from a press, comprising a reservoir means for moving each tablet immediately as ready from -said press to said reservoir, meanslsynchronized with said moving means adapted at predetermined intervals to empty the said reservoir,

means adapted to receive a plurality of tablets and adapted to deliver a predetermined number of such' tablets at a time, a conveyor adjacent to the said receiver adapted to receive suchtablets and to convey the same to a place of packing.

11. Improvement in means for counting and apportioning material such as tablets or pills oi' any kind and shape as they as delivered shaped from a press, comprising a reservoir, means for moving each tablet immediately as ready from said press to said reservoir and means synchronized with said moving meansadapted at predetermined intervals to empty the said reservoir having a cross sectional area more than twice as large as the largest cross sectional area of the tablets being made.

, lMOR'I'EN HANSEN. 

